Clarke HS DECA team advances to international conference

Sixteen members of the W.T. Clarke High School DECA team have qualified for the International Career Development Conference, to be held in Anaheim, California, from April 26-29. They met this qualification after excelling in the New York DECA State Competition.

According to is website, DECA is a nonprofit student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs from high schools and colleges around the world in marketing, finance, hospitality and management.

Seventy Clarke DECA members attended the New York State regional conference in Rochester on March 8-10, where they participated in competitive events aligned with the National Curriculum Standards in marketing, business management and administration, finance, and hospitality and tourism. Students were evaluated on written components such as an exam, as well as on creative work such as their business manual. The contest also contained an interactive component in which they presented their work before an industry professional who served as a judge.

At the state competition, 29 Clarke students received top 10 overall winner status, 10 placed in the top 10 for testing, and 12 were recognized in the top 10 role play category. Sixteen of these high-placing DECA members were tapped to advance to the national-level competition.

In addition to this prestigious accomplishment, Clarke seniors Priya Aggarwal and James Curran were inducted into the New York DECA Honor Society for demonstrating outstanding leadership and service, holding more than three years of membership in the club, maintaining a business average of 90 or above and an overall average of 85 or above, and having competed at the state level.

The district congratulates the Clarke High School DECA team on their dedication, critical thinking abilities and thought-provoking work and wishes them much success as they advance to nationals.

The Clarke High School DECA members heading to nationals are:
• Bhavya Arora for Hospitality and Tourism Professional Selling
• Joe Collica, Bailey McNamara and Avani Singh for Buying and Merchandising Operations in Research
• Caitlyn Eng and Cynthia Johnson for Financial Services Series
• Kerri Goldfuss for Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series
• Logan Mark for Professional Selling
• Abishek Ravindran for Principles of Finance
• Megan Rodrigues for Human Resources Series
• Ankit Sayed and Pantho Sayed for Business Services Operations in Research
• Joseph Zirkel for Start-up Business Plan